Conveyor means

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a conveyor system comprising a guiding rail ( 6 ) and a plurality of retaining devices ( 8 ) for a conveyed item, especially printing products. Said retaining devices each have a guiding pan ( 5 ) which can individually move in the guiding rail ( 6 ). A second guiding rail ( 7 ) is provided with a driving means ( 2 ) which is guided thereon. The driving means ( 2 ) permits a detachable coupling to a coupling part of the guiding part ( 5 ) such that, in a coupled state, a load carrying connection exists between the driving means ( 2 ) and the coupling part.

The invention relates to a conveying system according to the preamble ofclaim 1. The invention also relates to a method of conveying aconveyable article according to the preamble of claim 16.

CH 569 197 A5 discloses an apparatus which uses clamping tongs guided ona rail for the purpose of gripping and retaining printed productsarriving, in particular, in imbricated form. Said clamping tongs includethe design feature that they protrude virtually to no extent at all inrelation to the thickness of the (non-clamped) newspaper and thus findspace both in the imbricated formation and (with constant spacerequirements) in a stack and, furthermore, are of such a low weightthat—if necessary—they may be borne and retained by the newspaperitself.

The disadvantage with these known clamping tongs is the fact that theycan only be conveyed to very poor effect along a rail, in particular ifthe clamping tongs rest on the rail. In addition, these clamping tongsdo not allow high conveying speeds, as are necessary in the case ofmodern installations which process, for example, printed products andare capable of conveying, for example, 40,000 printed products per hour.

A further disadvantage of the known clamping tongs is the fact that arotary movement is necessary for the purpose of gripping a printedproduct, which, on the one hand, requires a correspondingly high-outlayapparatus for the purpose of producing a rotary movement and, on theother hand, needs a relatively long period of time for reliablegripping.

An object of the invention is to develop a conveying system for aconveyable article, in particular for printed products, such that theconveyable article can be conveyed quickly, flexibly and, in particular,at a high density.

This object is achieved by a conveying system having the features ofclaim 1. Subclaims 2 to 16 relate to further, advantageousconfigurations of the conveying system. The object is also achieved by amethod of conveying a conveyable article having the features of claim16.

The object is achieved, in particular, by a conveying system comprisinga guide rail and a multiplicity of retaining means with in each case oneguide part which can be moved individually in the guide rail, it beingthe case that a second guide rail with a drive means guided thereon isprovided, and it being the case that the drive means allows releasablecoupling to a coupling part of the guide part such that, in the coupledstate, there is a load-bearing connection between the drive means andthe coupling part.

In the following description of the conveying system according to theinvention, the example consistently used for a conveyable articleconveyed by the retaining means is a printed product, for example anewspaper or a periodical. However, this is to be understood merely asan example of a conveyable article. Of course, the same conveying systemis also suitable for manipulating and conveying articles other thanprinted products, for example empty or filled packs, parts of files,books, pieces of luggage, etc. Rather than being able to convey justsheet-like articles, it is possible for articles of all types and shapesto be conveyed. For this purpose, the conveying system has to bedesigned in adaptation to the forces acting on it and the retainingmeans has to be configured in adaptation to the shape of the articlewhich is to be conveyed.

The conveying system according to the invention has a large number ofadvantages.

The guide part with coupling part is fixed to a retaining means. Theseparts may be configured so as to be very small, very short in theconveying direction, and, in addition, lightweight and cost-effective.In particular for the purpose of conveying printed products, it isnecessary to have a multiplicity of such guide parts with retainingmeans, which can be cost-effectively mass-produced. The separation ofthe guide part and drive means makes it possible for the drive means,which is guided on the second guide rail, to be configured so as to besturdy, powerful and possibly also heavy, whereas the guide part may beconfigured so as to be very small and lightweight.

The very short configuration of the guide part, as seen in the conveyingdirection, permits a high-density conveying stream of printed products,which, in addition, makes it possible to reduce, if appropriate, theconveying speed of the printed products. In one embodiment, the guidepart with retaining means may be configured such that it takes upapproximately the same width as a printed product. By virtue of guideparts arranged one after the other on a guide rail and each having aprinted product retained in the retaining means, it is possible forthese to be “stacked” in a vertical position. This arrangement issuitable, in particular, as an intermediate store of printed products inthe [sic] the guide rail is arranged so as to run, for example, on theceiling of a building, and said ceiling area may thus be used as anintermediate store for printed products. This guide rail may have aslight downward slope, with the result that the guide parts can be movedby the gravitational force acting on them and there is thus no need forany drive means. This means that just one guide rail is required for anintermediate store, with the result that an intermediate store can beproduced very cost-effectively.

The two guide rails are arranged one above the other along a conveyingpath and form two separate conveying streams. While the drive means ispreferably constantly circulating, the guide part with retaining meanscan be coupled to the drive means preferably at any desired point intime and at any desired location. The conveying stream can convey anydesired number of printed products up to a maximum possible conveyingdensity.

In the coupled state, there is a load-bearing connection between thedrive means and the guide part, with the result that the guide part isguided solely by the drive means. This allows quick, reliable andlow-wear conveying a [sic] guide means with retaining means and printedproduct.

The guide rails may run as desired, even three-dimensionally, in space.In addition, it is possible to provide diverters and transfer locationsin order to transfer a guide means from one guide rails [sic] toanother. In one embodiment, the conveying system according to theinvention allows “individual transportation of printed products” in the[sic], for example, each printed product can be conveyed along adifferent, predeterminable conveying path. For this purpose, eachretaining means and/or each guide means may have an individual code forthe purpose of identifying the retaining means individually or in orderto predetermine an individual conveying path. During the conveyingprocess, the retaining means can grip printed products or let them go,with the result that it is possible to put together any desired stack ofdifferent printed products, for example to put together a stack ofprinted products, each retained by a single retaining means, which iscoordinated individually with the requirements of a recipient.

The guide part is advantageously configured as a slider which, inparticular, with large-surface-area configuration, slides on a guiderail having flat-surface rail parts. A slider of V-shaped andwide-legged configuration is stable in relation to tilting, verylightweight and, in addition, can be moved on the guide rail withoutcanting, even with relatively large moments acting thereon. In addition,the slider may be configured so as to be very short as seen in theconveying direction. The V-shaped sliders may form, in a state in whichthey butt against one another, a type of bar comprising individualsliders, which imparts a high level of positional stability to thesliders, which are in contact with one another. The sliders may beconveyed by being pushed along from the rear. With a downward slope, thesliders may slide of their own accord on the guide rail as a result ofthe gravitational force acting on them.

In a preferred embodiment, the guide part is coupled to the drive meansby a magnetic circuit which causes a force of attraction between thedrive means and the guide part. This load-bearing connection may also beachieved using a large number of other means, for example usingpneumatically acting means, or using a releasable adhesively bondingmeans or mechanically, e.g. using a touch-and-close fastener.

The conveying system according to the invention is ideal for conveyingbulk goods since is makes it possible to convey a large number of goodssuch as printed products, in addition at a high density and at highspeed, it being possible to achieve, on account of the high possibledensity of the printed products conveyed, a high conveying capacity evenat a low conveying speed. A high packing density of printed productsarranged one behind the other on a rail is possible in a stack orintermediate store.

The invention is explained hereinbelow, by way of a number of exemplaryembodiments, with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows, symbolically, a conveying system with a pair of guiderails which follow a continuous, closed path;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a plurality of sliders arranged one behindthe other on a second guide rail;

FIG. 3 shows a chain of abutting drive means;

FIG. 4 shows a chain of a further embodiment of abutting drive means;

FIG. 5 shows a cross section through a first and a second guide railwith drive means, slider and retaining means;

FIG. 6 shows a cross section through a first and a second guide railwith drive means, slider and retaining means, the slider having beenreleased from the drive means;

FIGS. 7a, 7 b, 7 c show a side view of a plurality of drive means,sliders and retaining means arranged differently one behind the other;

FIG. 7d shows a side view of a plurality of drive means and sliders withretaining means rotated through 90 degrees;

FIG. 8 shows a deflecting apparatus;

FIGS. 9a, 9 b, 9 c show a transfer location with a slider and retainingmeans in different positions;

FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment of a transfer location;

FIG. 11 shows a cross section through a further embodiment of a firstand second guide rail with drive means and slider.

FIG. 1 shows, symbolically, a conveying system 1 which comprises asymbolically illustrated first guide rail 6 on which guide parts 5 aremounted such that they can be moved individually in the conveyingdirection F and are guided around a continuous, closed path. Runningparallel to the first guide rail 6 is a second, symbolically illustratedguide rail 7, which determines the running direction of drive means 2guided thereon. The drive means 2 comprises a multiplicity ofpressure-activated bodies which are arranged one behind the other in theconveying direction F, are in contact with one another at end sides andare mounted in the guide rail 7 with sliding or rolling action. Thesepressure-activated bodies come into operative connection with the twodeflecting wheels 12 a, 12 b, with the result that thepressure-activated bodies are deflected and driven in the conveyingdirection F. Preferred embodiments of such deflecting apparatuses, andpressure-activated bodies adapted thereto, are disclosed in CH PatentApplication No. 1997 2964/97 (Representative's reference A12206CH) bythe same applicant, said application being filed on the same day andhaving the title “Fördereinrichtung und entsprechendes Transportmittel”[Conveying apparatus and corresponding transporting means]. Thepressure-activated bodies butt against one another in the buffer section12 f upstream of the deflecting wheel 12 a, it being the case that, insaid buffer section 12 f, a toothed belt 12 e comes into engagement withthe respective pressure-activated bodies and conveys thepressure-activated bodies, relieving the same of pressure, around therail section 12 c without said bodies coming into contact with oneanother, it being the case that, in the end part of the rail section 12c, the pressure-activated bodies come into contact with one anotheragain and, subjected to pressure, are pushed up along the conveyingsection 12 g. The resulting pushing forces suffice in order to push thepressure-activated bodies, butting against one another, as far as thedeflection wheel 12 b, where, relieved of pressure again, said bodiesare conveyed around the rail section 12 d.

The conveying system 1 thus comprises two parallel, rail-guidedpart-systems, namely a multiplicity of guide parts 5, which can be movedindividually and are guided on and along the first guide rail 6, and anendless chain of bodies 2 which can be moved individually, can be drivenin a state in which they butt against one another via end sides 2 b, 2c, can be subjected to pressure, are guided on and along the secondguide rail 7 and can be driven by the interaction with deflecting wheels12 a, 12 b and/or with toothed belt 12 e. The part-system comprising thesecond guide rail 7, the deflecting wheels 12 a, 12 b and drive means 2is usually constantly on the move, with the result that the drive means2 are constantly circulating. According to the invention, the guideparts 5 can be coupled to the drive means 2 and released therefromagain, with the result that guide parts 5 can be conveyed in theconveying direction F in a controllable manner, individually or in groupformation. Each guide part 5 comprises a coupling part 5 b via whicheach guide part 5 can be coupled to the drive means 2, a load-bearingconnection being formed in the process, and can be separated from thedrive means 2. In the buffer section 12 f, the guide parts 5 are notcoupled to the drive means 2, and are directed around the rail section12 c in a controllable manner and, toward the end of the rail section 12c at the latest, are coupled to the drive means 2, with the result thatthe guide parts 5, as is illustrated in the conveying section 12 g, areconveyed in the upward direction. The first and second guide rails 6, 7,the guide part 5 and the drive means 2 are preferably configured inadaptation to one another so as to produce in the coupled state, betweenthe drive means 2 and the guide part 5, a load-bearing connection suchthat, during the conveying operation, there is no contact between thefirst guide rail 6 and the guide part 5. This means that the guide part5 is guided and retained solely by the drive means 2 during the drivenconveying operation.

In addition, the guide rail 6 may have one or more diverters 6 g inorder to form a branching-off or incoming rail section 6 f. Said railsection 6 f is designed in accordance with the first guide rail 6, butdoes not have any drive means 2, with the result that the guide parts 5slide on the guide rail 6 and, on account of the gravitational forceacting on them, are driven passively in the running direction of therail section 6 f.

Retaining means 8 (not illustrated) for the purpose of gripping andconveying printed products 13 are usually arranged on the guide part 5.The conveying system 1 allows the guide parts 5 with retaining means 8to be routed in a freely selectable manner, even three-dimensionally inspace.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a plurality of guide parts 5 which arearranged one behind the other on the first guide rail 6 and areconfigured as rail-guidable sliders 5. Preferred embodiments of suchsliders, and guide rails adapted thereto, are disclosed in CH PatentApplication No. 1997 2962/97 (Representative's reference A12204CH) bythe same applicant, said application being filed on the same day andhaving the title “Schienenführbares Fördermittel und Führungsschiene zumFühren des Fördermittels” [Rail-guidable conveying means and guide railfor guiding the conveying means].

The first guide rail 6 comprises two rail parts 6 b which are spacedapart from one another to form a gap 6 d. This gap 6 d forms a firstguide for the slider 5 and defines the conveying direction F of thesame. The slider forms a guide part 5 which runs in the form of a V inthe conveying direction F and is of H-shaped configuration in a planenormal to the conveying direction F, as can be seen from FIG. 5. Theguide part 5 comprises two V-shaped sliding bodies 5 a, 5 b which arespaced apart perpendicularly to the conveying direction F and areconnected by a crosspiece 5 c. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated,the sliding bodies 5 a, 5 b are configured and arranged so as to becongruent. The only difference between the two sliding bodies 5 a, 5 bis that the top sliding body 5 a has, on both sides, a notch 5 g whichis arranged in the end region and is intended for the engagement of arestraining finger 10 a of a stop and release device 10. It would alsobe possible for the two sliding bodies 5 a, 5 b to be configureddifferently from one another and to have different lengths, for example,in the conveying direction F.

The sliding bodies 5 a, 5 b are spaced apart from one another such thatthe rail part 6 b is located between them with an amount of play. TheV-shaped configuration of the sliding bodies 5 a, 5 b allows thosesurfaces of the latter which are directed toward the first guide rail 6to be configured so as to have relatively large surface areas, with theresult that the sliding body 5 a, 5 b can rest and slide on the rail 6such that it is supported over a large surface area, which allowssliding on the rail 6 with low friction.

The crosspiece 5 c of the guide part 5 has two lateral sliding surfaceswhich run in the conveying direction F and are guided in the gap 6 d ofthe first guide rail 6.

Each sliding body 5 a, 5 b has two side arms which together form theV-shaped configuration, each of the side arms having a leading edge anda trailing edge in relation to the conveying direction F. In theexemplary embodiment illustrated, the two edges are configured so as torun parallel to one another or virtually parallel to one another. Thisconfiguration has the advantage that sliders 5 in contact with oneanother, as is illustrated by the buffer region 11 b, are supportedagainst one another such that they form a type of bar and the sliders 5are thus retained firmly relative to one another, with the result that,in this position, relative movement only takes place with difficulty.

In the end region, the side arms of the sliders 5 form a side surfacewhich is configured so as to run approximately parallel to a slidingsurface 6 c of the first guide rail 6. Said side surface 5 f serves forsupporting the slider 5 on the sliding surface 6 c of the rail 6. Theguide parts 6 a, which provide a second guide, as can be seen from FIG.5, form part of the first guide rail 6. This configuration of slider 5and first guide rail 6 guides the slider 5 in the conveying direction F,and forms on [sic] a three-point mounting in the process such that theslider 5 is always mounted in a tilting-free manner at least at threepoints of the guide rail 6 and, in addition, has a certain amount ofplay in relation to the guide rail 6 such that, in the state in which itis coupled firmly to the drive means 2, the slider 5 can be conveyedwithout coming into contact with the guide rail 6. The sliders 5 areconfigured so as to be very short in the conveying direction F, with theresult that a dense conveying stream of sliders 5 is possible.

FIG. 2 shows a plurality of sliders 5 arranged one behind the other onthe rail 6. For the sake of clarity, it is only the sliders 5 which areillustrated in full, whereas the retaining means 8 and carrying parts 3,which are fixed to the sliders 5, are only illustrated partially, bydashed lines. FIG. 2 also shows a stop and release device 10 whichcomprises two restraining fingers 10 a, 10 b which can be displaced inthe movement direction 10 c and engage in the notch 5 g of the slider 5in order to retain and release a slider 5 in a controllable manner. Thisstop and release device 10 can restrain the guide parts 5, with theresult that the guide parts 5 are in contact with one another in theconveying direction F and form a buffer region 11 b over a lengthsection of the rail 6. Located upstream of the buffer region 11 b is aninlet region 11 a, within which a guide part 5 advances toward thebuffer region 11 b in a freely movable manner. Arranged downstream ofthe buffer region 11 [sic] is a further region 11 c, within which theguide part [sic] 5, preferably spaced apart from one another, move inthe conveying direction F again.

As can be seen from FIG. 7a, it is possible to fasten on each guide part5 a retaining means 8 which comprises, for example, a bracket 8 d, anarticulation 8 a and two spreadable tongues 8 b, 8 c, which arepreferably configured such that the conveyed products [sic], for examplea printed product 13, is retained such that it runs perpendicularly, orapproximately perpendicularly, to the conveying direction F.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a plurality of cuboidal basic bodies 2 whichbutt against one another on the respective end sides 2 b, 2 c in theconveying direction F and can be subjected to pressure, each basic bodyhaving four projecting stubs 2 a which serve as guide means in order toguide the basic bodies 2 in the second guide rail 7. These basic bodies2, which are driven in a state in which they butt against one another,form the drive means 2, which serves for driving the guide parts 5.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a further exemplary embodiment of a drivemeans 2. This drive means 2, once again provided with a cuboidal basicbody, has guide means 2 a configured as wheels, with the result that thedrive means 2 comprises a chain of individual carriages which buttagainst one another via end surfaces 2 b, 2 c and, as is illustrated inFIG. 5, are guided in the rail body 7 a of the second guide rail 7. Thebasic body has an engagement side 2 d, in which a toothed belt 9engages, and a load side 2 e, to which the guide part 5 can be coupled.In addition, the basic body has recesses which are intended for thepurpose of receiving the wheels 2 a. The wheels 2 a project beyond theguide side 2 k and, on that guide side 2 k in which two wheels arespaced apart in the conveying direction F, also project beyond the endsides 2 b, 2 c. The view according to FIG. 5 shows the end side 2 c ofan individual carriage 2, there being provided in the basic body, on theright alongside the wheel 2 a, a recess which is intended for thepurpose of receiving the wheel 2 a projecting beyond the end side 2 b, 2c of an adjacent transporting means 2. In the case of that chain oftransporting means 2 butting alongside one another in the conveyingdirection F which is illustrated in FIG. 4, in each case two adjacenttransporting means 2 have been rotated through 180° in relation to oneanother about the axis formed by the conveying direction F, with theresult that the wheel 2 a projecting in each case beyond the end side 2b, 2 c of one transporting means 2 comes to rest in the recess of theadjacent transporting means 2. This makes possible a chain oftransporting means 2 which are conveyed by compressive forces acting viathe end sides 2 b, 2 c, which are in contact with one another. Thetransporting means 2 illustrated, with three guide means 2 a configuredas wheels, runs very well in the guide rail 4. It is also possible, onaccount of the relatively large distance between the individual wheels 2a, for torques acting via the load side 2 e to be transmitted reliablyto the second guide rail 7 without causing the transporting means 2 tocant. The convexly running end sides 2 b, 2 c, rather than allowing thetransporting means 2 to be conveyed merely in a rectilinear manner inthe conveying direction F, also allow slightly curved paths, thecurvature of said curved path running about an axis locatedperpendicularly to the viewing direction. The chain of transportingmeans 2 forms, once again, the drive means , the transporting means 2providing a type of bar comprising individual links.

In the conveying system 1 according to FIG. 1, the transporting means 2are deflected about an axis running perpendicularly to the conveyingdirection F and perpendicularly to the viewing plane, in particular onthe deflecting wheels 12 a, 12 b. In order to avoid contact between thetransporting means 2 in the curved section 12 c, and in order to permitdeflection with a relatively small radius of curvature, the carriagesare configured so as to be correspondingly short in the conveyingdirection F, the transporting means 2 have a relatively largewheel-to-wheel distance.

Each transporting means 2 has a planar, flat-surface load side 2 e forthe coupling of the sliding body 5 b, which forms a coupling part 5 b atthe same time, it being the case that, as is illustrated in FIG. 3 andFIG. 4, a plurality of transporting means 2, in contact with oneanother, form a load surface which runs in the conveying direction F andcomprises a plurality of load sides 2 e, it being the case that saidload surface have [sic] no interspace between the transporting means 2in the center and a very narrow interspace between the transportingmeans 2 in each case in the direction of the border. This configurationof the individual load sides 2 e makes it possible to form a continuous,flat, preferably planar load surface which is formed from a plurality oftransporting means 2, which results in the essential advantage of itbeing possible for the guide part 5 to be coupled to a transportingmeans 2 irrespective of the position of the latter in each case, it alsobeing possible for the point in time at which the engagement takes placeto be determined freely. As a result, the two conveying streams formedby the guide parts 5 and the drive means 2 may be considered as beingindependent of one another since the guide part 5 can be coupled to thedrive means 2 at any desired location and at any desired point in time.

FIG. 5 shows a cross section through the first and second guide rails 6,7 with an arrangement for the releasable coupling of the guide part 5 tothe drive means 2. Preferred embodiments of such coupling and conveyingapparatuses, and pressure-activated bodies adapated thereto, aredisclosed in CH Patent Application No. 1997 2965/97 (Representative'sreference A12207CH) by the same applicant, said application being filedon the same day and having the title “Fördereinrichtung” [Conveyingapparatus].

The second guide rail 7, of u-shaped configuration, has a rail body 7 awith grooves which are configured in the form of a V on the mutuallyopposite side surfaces and serve for guiding the wheels 2 a or pins 2 aof the drive means 2. The second guide rail 7 defines a conveyingdirection F, in which, in the cross section illustrated, the drive means2 is conveyed in a driven manner via a toothed belt 9 which engages in aform-fitting manner. Arranged on both sides of the second guide rail 7is a flux-concentrating member 7 b and, therebetween, a permanent magnet7 d. The two flux-concentrating members 7 b are of L-shapedconfiguration and are fixed to the second guide rail 7.

The drive means 2, configured as a carriage, has a basic body made of anon-ferromagnetic material, for example made of aluminum or a plastic.Arranged on said basic body are two L-shaped, spaced-apart,ferromagnetic flux-concentrating parts 2 g, of which one end opens outonto the load side 2 e and the other end is arranged opposite theflux-concentrating members 7 b, an air gap 7 c being formed in theprocess. For the purpose of forming a planar, flat-surface load side 2e, the two ferromagnetic parts 2 g are covered over by a covering partmade of a non-ferromagnetic material, with the result that the twoferromagnetic parts 2 g open out at the load side 2 e without projectingbeyond the surface. The flux-concentrating member 7 b, the magnet 7 dand the flux-concentrating parts 2 g as well as the air gap 7 c form amagnetic circuit 7 e. The coupling part 5 b is configured as aferromagnetic armature part which closes the magnetic flux circuit 7 e,this causing a magnetically produced force of attraction Fm between thedrive means 2 and the coupling part 5 b. The coupling part 5 b iscoupled to the drive means 2 in a load-bearing manner, a retaining means8 being arranged on the guide part 5, which is fixed to the couplingpart 5 b.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5, the magnetic circuit 7e is arranged such that the lines of flux, in the air gap 7 c, runperpendicularly to the magnetic force Fm produced. This arrangement hasthe advantage that the magnetic force Fm is produced between the drivemeans 2 and the coupling part 5 b, which serves as armature part, withthe result that the wheels 2 a are not subjected to any direct loadingby the force Fm. In the region of the air gap 7 c, theflux-concentrating members 7 b are configured so as to run parallel inthe conveying direction F, with the result that, for a drive means 2,the sum of the width of the two air gaps 7 c remains constant, even if,on account of inaccuracies present, the drive means 2 moves back andforth slightly in a horizontal direction. A plurality of magnets 7 d maybe arranged on the second guide rail 7 so as to be spaced apart in theconveying direction F, with the result that there is always a magneticflux 7 e present in the conveying direction F, in order to bring about aload-bearing connection between the guide part 5 and the drive means 2.

Arranged beneath the second guide rail 7 is the first guide rail 6,which is configured so as to run parallel to the second guide rail 7.This first guide rail 6 comprises two rail parts 6 b with side parts 6a, the first guide rail 6 being fixed to the second guide rail 7. Therail part 6 b with side part 6 a is produced from a non-ferromagneticmaterial, for example from aluminum or a plastic.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5, the first guide rail 6is configured such that in the state illustrated, in which the guidepart 5 is coupled firmly to the drive means 2 by the magnetically actingforces, there is no contact between the guide part 5 and the first guiderail 6, this rendering the first guide rail 6 unnecessary. Asufficiently large amount of play is provided between the guide part 5and the first guide rail 6 for this purpose. The guide rail 5 isarranged such that it hangs at the bottom of the drive means 2, and itis connected to a retaining means 8 which comprises a bracket 8 d, anarticulation 8 a and two tongues 8 b, 8 c. The magnetic force Fm towhich the guide part 5 is subjected by the drive means 2 via themagnetic circuit 7 e suffices in order to couple the retaining means 8firmly to the drive means 2. This embodiment is suitable, in particular,for the purpose of conveying lightweight, sheet-like printed products.

It is possible to see, from the cross section according to FIG. 6, theincrease in distance, in relation to FIG. 5, between the first guiderail 6 and the second guide rail 7. The guide part 5 is no longerretained by the drive means 2, but rather rests on the first guide rail6 by way of the sliding body 5 b such that it can be moved in theconveying direction F.

FIG. 7a shows a side view of two guide rails 6, 7 which are arranged oneabove the other and run parallel in the conveying direction F. Twoindividual carriages 2, which are spaced apart in the conveyingdirection F, each have four coupled guide parts 5, on which in each caseone retaining means 8 is arranged. The guide parts 5 are coupled firmlyto the individual carriages and are retained without coming into contactwith the first guide rail 6. This means that the guide parts 5 withretaining means 8 can be conveyed in the conveying direction F veryquickly and without frictional losses and with low wear. FIG. 7b shows aside view of the same arrangement of the guide rails 6, 7, theindividual carriages 2, which are in contact with one another, forming adrive means 2. Each guide part 5 is connected to a single individualcarriage 2. FIG. 7c, like FIG. 7b, shows individual carriages 2 whichare in contact with one another, and to which a multiplicity of guideparts 5 which are in contact with one another are coupled. FIG. 7c showsthe highest possible conveying density of printed products 13 in theconveying direction F. The guide parts 5 are butting against oneanother, with the result that it is not possible to have any higherdensity in the conveying direction F. FIG. 7d, like FIG. 7b and FIG. 7c,shows individual carriages 2 which are in contact with one another andform a drive means 2. In relation to the conveying operations accordingto FIGS. 7a, 7 b, 7 c, the retaining means 8 are arranged in a state inwhich they have been pivoted through 90 degrees, with the result thatthe printed products 13 are conveyed with a surface running parallel tothe conveying direction F.

FIG. 8 shows, in detail, the deflecting apparatus 12 a, which isillustrated at the bottom in FIG. 1. The drive means 2 are guided on thesecond guide rail 7 and, upstream of the region of the deflectingsection 12 c, come into engagement with a toothed belt 12 e whichengages on the engagement side 2 d. In the deflecting section, asoutlined in FIG. 1, the individual carriages 2 are deflected withoutcoming into contact with one another. The guide parts 5 with retainingmeans 8 are guided along the first guide rail 6. That section of theguide rails 6, 7 which comes from the top right has no magnetic circuit,with the result that the guide parts 5, rather than being coupled to thedrive means 2, are guided solely on the first guide rail 6, dropdownward as a result of the gravitational force acting on them and runonto the guide parts 5 located in the buffer section 12 f. A releasedevice 10 allows the guide parts 5 to be retained and discharged to thefollowing deflecting wheel 12 a in a controlled manner. The guide parts5 are also guided on the first guide rail 6 in the curved rail section12 c. The toothed deflecting wheel 12 a is configured such that eachtooth is capable of conveying a single guide part 5 around the railsection 12 c. The guide parts 5 are not coupled to the drive means 2within the rail section 12 c. The coupling to the drive means 2 takesplace at the end of the rail section 12 c, where the guide parts 5 arecoupled to the drive means 2 again and are conveyed in the upwarddirection in conveying section 12 g by the drive means 2. A motor 12 idrives a deflecting roller 12 k and, synchronously with one another, thetoothed belts 12 e, 12 h.

FIGS. 9a, 9 b, 9 c show a transfer location 15 at which two second guiderails 7, running parallel alongside one another, are arranged. Theconveying direction F of the guide part 5 takes place [sic]perpendicularly in the direction of the viewing plane. In FIG. 9a, thefirst guide rail 6 runs beneath the right-hand second guide rail 7, thefirst guide rail 6 following an S-shaped course in the conveyingdirection F. FIG. 9b shows the first guide rail 6 positioned in thecenter of the S-shaped course, whereas FIG. 9c illustrates the firstguide rail positioned at the end of the S-shaped course, beneath theleft-hand second guide rail 7. The guide part 5 rests on the first guiderail 6 and is moved in the conveying direction F by the drive means 2,by way of the magnetically acting forces, this resulting in a change ofpath from the right-hand to the left-hand guide rail 7. Downstream ofthe transfer location 15, as seen in the conveying direction F, theguide part 5 is coupled to the drive means 2 again in a load-bearingmanner. It would also be possible for the change of path to take placewith two second guide rails 7 which are arranged parallel alongside oneanother and are configured according to FIG. 6, in the [sic] the firstguide rail 6 has a slight downward slope at the deflecting [sic]location 15, with the result that, on account of the action of thegravitational force on the first guide rail 6, the guide part 5 isconveyed with sliding action from one guide rail 7 to the adjacent guiderail 7.

FIG. 10 shows a further transfer location 15 with two guide rails 7arranged parallel alongside one another. The guide part 5 is retained onthe drive part 2 by magnetically acting means and is displaced by atransfer device 14 from the right-hand drive means 2 to the left-handdrive means 2. The transfer location 15 could also be configured as abranching section or a diverter, which branches the first guide rail 6,in particular in a controllable manner, in two separate directions.

The conveying system may comprise a multiplicity of first and secondguide rails 6, 7 which run in any desired directions and, in addition,may be connected to one another via branching-off sections. In addition,a conveying system may comprise a plurality of second guide rails 7which are arranged along a continuous path and have drive means 2 inorder to convey the guide part 5, which is guided on the first guiderail 6. It is possible in certain sections of the conveying system, asseen in the conveying direction F, for said conveying system only tohave a first guide rail 6, which guides the guide part 5, or in certainsections of the conveying system, as seen in the conveying direction F,for said conveying system only to have the second guide rail 7, therebeing a load-bearing connection between the drive means 2 and thecoupling part 5 b of the guide part 5.

It is also possible for the conveying system to be configured such thateach retaining means 8 and/or each guide part 5 has an individualcoding, and that at least one sensor is provided for the purpose ofsensing the coding, in order to sense, in particular, the location ofsaid retaining means and/or guide part and to control the conveying pathwhich is to be followed thereby.

The cross section according to FIG. 11 shows an exemplary embodimentwith a guide part 5 and a drive means 2 which are guided on a commonguide rail 6/7. Both the guide part 5 and the drive means 2 are ofu-shaped configuration on both sides, with the result that in each caseone rail part 6 b with sliding surfaces suffices for guidance purposes.The drive means 2 comprises two ferromagnetic flux-concentrating parts 2g via which the magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet 7 d isconducted to the guide part 5 via the flux-concentrating members 7 b.The common guide rail 6/7 can open out into two separate guide rails 6,7.

What is claimed is:
 1. Conveying system (1) comprising a guide rail (6)and a multiplicity of retaining means (8) for a conveyable article, inparticular printed products, with in each case one guide part (5) whichcan be moved individually in the guide rail (6), and also comprising asecond guide rail (7) with a drive means (2) guided thereon,characterized in that the drive means (2) allows releasable coupling toa coupling part (5 b) of the guide part (5) such that, in the coupledstate, the guide part (5) is borne at least partially by the drive means(2) in that there is a load-bearing connection between the drive means(2) and the coupling part (5 b) the guide part (5) being configured as aslider (5) and the first guide rail (6) including a sliding surface (6b) configured in adaptation to the slider (5).
 2. Conveying systemaccording claim 1, characterized in that the first and the second guiderails (6, 7), at least over part of the length, are arranged parallel toone another and are spaced apart from one another such that a guide part(5) which engages on the first guide rail (6) can be coupled to thedrive means (2) at the same time.
 3. Conveying system according to claim2, characterized in that the two guide rails (6, 7) are arranged oneabove the other.
 4. Conveying system according to claim 3, characterizedin that the two guide rails (6, 7) are spaced apart from one another,and the slider (5) and the first guide rail (6) are configured inadaptation to one another, such that a slider (5) which is coupled tothe drive means (2) can be conveyed without coming into contact with thefirst guide rail (6).
 5. Conveying system according to claim 1,characterized in that the drive means (2) has a flat-surface load side(2 e) for the coupling of the coupling part (5 b), and in that aplurality of drive means (2) form a load surface, running in theconveying direction (F) and comprising a plurality of load sides (2 e),for the purpose of coupling the guide part (5) irrespective of theposition of the drive means (2) in each case, the load surface having,in particular, no interspaces or only very narrow interspaces. 6.Conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that the drivemeans (2) is configured as a multiplicity of pressure-activated bodieswhich can be moved individually and can be driven in a state in whichthey butt against one another via end sides (2 b, 2 c).
 7. Conveyingsystem according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive means (2)and the guide means (5) each have a length which extends in theconveying direction (F), and in that these two lengths may bedimensioned such that, for each drive means (2), it is possible tocouple at least one guide means (5), but in particular a plurality ofguide means (5) arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction(F).
 8. Conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that theretaining means (8) are configured for the purpose of retaining asheet-like conveyable article, in particular a printed product, and arefixed to the guide part (5), such that the sheet-like conveyable articleis retained such that it runs approximately perpendicularly to theconveying direction (F).
 9. Conveying system according to claim 1,characterized in that in certain sections, as seen in the conveyingdirection (F), it is only the first guide rail (6), which guides theguide part (5), which is provided, or in that in certain sections, asseen in the conveying direction (F), it is only the second guide rail(7) which is provided, there being a load-bearing connection between thedrive means (2) and the coupling part (5 b) of the guide part (5). 10.Conveying system according to claim 1, characterized by at least onefirst guide rail (6) and at least one second guide rail (7) with drivemeans (2), it being the case that, at least at transfer locations (15),the guide rails (6, 7) run parallel to one another, it being the casethat the transfer locations (15) are configured such that the guide part(5), which is connected to the drive means (2) of a second guide rail(7) in a load-bearing manner, can be transferred to a first guide rail(6), or in that the guide part (5) can be coupled to a drive means (2)of a second guide rail (7) from a first guide rail (6), or in that theguide part (5) can be transferred from a drive means (2) of a secondguide rail (7) to a drive means (2) of a further second guide rail (7)or from a first guide rail (6) to a further first guide rail (6). 11.Conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that the firstguide rail (6) has branching sections, of which the branching directioncan be controlled in particular.
 12. Conveying system according to claim1, characterized in that the guide part (5) is coupled to the drivemeans (2) via magnetic, pneumatic, releasably adhesively bonding orinterengaging means.
 13. Conveying system according to claim 1,characterized in that the drive means (2) and the guide means (5) haveferromagnetic flux parts (2 g; 7 b, 7 d) which are arranged inadaptation to one another such that a coupling part (5 b) which buttsagainst the drive means (2) forms a magnetic circuit (7 e) and isretained by magnetically acting forces.
 14. Conveying system accordingto claim 13, characterized in that a ferromagnetic flux-concentratingmember (7 b) which is arranged firmly in relation to the second guiderail (7) comprises a magnet (7 d), and in that the flux-concentratingmember (7 b) is arranged in relation to the correspondingly adapteddrive means (2) such that the flux-concentrating member (7 b) forms amagnetic circuit (7 e) via the drive means (2) and the coupling part (5b).
 15. Conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in thateach retaining means (8) and/or each guide part (5) has an individualcoding, and in that at least one sensor is provided for the purpose ofsensing the coding, in order to sense, in particular, the location ofsaid retaining means and/or guide part and to control the conveying pathwhich is to be followed thereby.
 16. Method of operating a conveyingsystem according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveyed drivemeans (2) produce a conveying stream which moves in the conveyingdirection (F) and, in particular, has no interspaces, and in that, onaccount of this conveying stream, it is possible to produce, between theguide parts (5) with retaining means (8) and the drive means (2), aload-bearing connection which is not dependent on the position of adrive means (2) in each case.